


The Ties that Bind

by Genie60



Series: Poldark Series 3-This and That [13]
Category: Poldark (TV 2015)
Genre: Children, F/M, Family, Marriage, Past Relationship(s), Reconciliation, S3, What if?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-07-09
Packaged: 2018-11-30 00:18:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11452077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genie60/pseuds/Genie60
Summary: S3 Ep 1 filler/what if.  What Ross and Demelza might have been thinking during the night of the Black Moon and the morning after.





	The Ties that Bind

**Author's Note:**

> Just some things I wish were included....nothing more than fluff. 
> 
> Woke up with this in my head so not fully edited but needed to get written before I forgot it.
> 
> Dialogue a combo of original and Debbie's

Once again Ross Poldark found himself on the grounds of Trenwith in the dark of night.  It was as if he had willed his horse to carry him here after leaving Caroline at the bedside of her dying uncle. Now as he stood in the shadows peering into his family home, observing George holding his son, he wondered why he had come.  He knew that he shouldn’t be here and if he was discovered, would find himself in another brawl.  He also knew that it was too soon after his last late night visit to this house and the scars from that misbegotten endeavor were still raw; that if Demelza knew she would be hurt again.  And yet, he was sure she already knew what he intended.  When they received the note from Dwight about Ray Penvenen and Elizabeth, Ross could see she was hesitant to tell him about its contents. When she did, he couldn’t hide his feelings and he saw a familiar look in Demelza’s eyes. Once again, despite his promise of only a few months ago, Elizabeth had come between them.  The unspoken issue of this newborn child was set as a barrier that kept their full reconciliation at bay.

Now as he listened to George exalt this child and berate the last of his family, Ross knew that the time had come to permanently remove this house and its inhabitants from his life. This was especially important if he wanted to fully mend his relationship with his wife.  Demelza had agreed to stay and work toward rebuilding their marriage. More important was the fact that they needed to reestablish the trust which was the foundation of their lives for almost ten years; a trust that he blew away in a few hours of recklessness.  Whether that action resulted in a lifelong connection to this house, he did not know.  Nor did he want to dwell on that.  That was a supposition, a possibility.  Demelza and Jeremy were a certainty.  She was home, now, waiting for him, still loving him, despite the fact that he didn’t deserve it.

Ross turned away from the window after his aunt’s curse to George and the child.  He looked up at the sky expecting to see the black moon that rose earlier but instead saw a blood red moon.  A feeling of dread ran through him and the words of his aunt resonated in his head.  Was this child doomed simply because of whose family he was born into?  Was the bad blood between George and him so tainted that it would ruin the lives of an innocent child along with the rest of their families?  He needed to think; to figure out what he had done and what he could do that might make this right.  He stealthily made his way back to his horse and rode towards the sea.  In the past, he would work through troubles by physical activity. This was one of those times.  Tying his horse to a bush, Ross walked down to the shore.  He thought the cold air and smell of the ocean would help clear his head.  It did.  It allowed all the memories of his actions come flooding back to him in crisp, vivid pictures.  What did Demelza say earlier?  That he might have liked a life that was simple, without shadows?  And his response was to outrun them for unlike her comment, he could not ignore them any longer. So he took off and ran, his feet pounding hard on the sand as if he was being chased by those shadows.  Soon he ran out of breath and fell to the ground, his head bent, his chest tight.  Standing slowly he knew what he had to do.  Not just to eradicate these shadows but to finally lay a new foundation for his marriage.  Ross walked back to his horse and rode home.

*~*~*~*~*

Demelza stood in the doorway of Nampara looking up at the bright red moon.  Her bones told her that nothing good would come of this night as a feeling of déjà vu arose as well.  She knew as soon as Ross heard about Elizabeth’s condition that at some point he would find his way back to her. His face betrayed his feelings and that despite his promise of Elizabeth never coming between her and Ross again, this situation made that vow impossible to keep; curiosity and plain human caring made wanting to know what was happening, a natural response.  Perhaps he didn’t need to see her but he would need to know if she had lived and what the status was of her child.  Part of her wanted to say to Ross to just go and see for yourself what your behavior had done.  They both knew that there was a possibility that the child Elizabeth would deliver tonight could be a Poldark and not a Warleggan. They just chose to ignore it, leaving it as the last unspoken wall between them; a shadow as Demelza had referenced it earlier that night. 

Sleep did not come easily to her but eventually, she did succumb, lying alone in her bed once again as her husband dealt with demons and the ever present existence of George Warleggan.  Demelza knew that part of Ross’ continued tie to Trenwith was his aunt and Geoffrey Charles.  They were still family and should not be ignored just because his dire enemy was now master of his family’s home.  However, all that came with that was what she and Ross were fighting to overcome. Elizabeth. No matter how much both of them wanted to keep her out of their lives, she would always, whether called upon or not, intrude.  Demelza had resigned herself to this fact but she chose to not let it dominate her life.  She had a home and family to focus on, the latter about to grow with the child she was expecting.  A fact that Ross was unaware of yet.  She had hoped to tell him after Dwight and Caroline’s wedding but with the news of Elizabeth’s accident, their own family was put aside to deal with that. Again.  She tried not to be bitter but it was hard when it appeared your husband was readily distracted by another woman.  She hoped when the dawn came, Ross would be home with news that would allow them to move on once and for all.

*~*~*~*~*

 

She did not immediately hear the horse approach as the sound of the pump and morning workings of the household muffled anything else. It wasn’t until she saw him approach out of the corner of her eye that she stopped what she was doing and walked towards him. Demelza saw the look and his face and knew that wherever he had been had to do with Elizabeth and the events of the previous night.  He stopped his horse and said nothing, much like the morning he came back to her after his last foray to Trenwith so she spoke first.

“Elizabeth is alive. And her son,” she said and paused allowing the words to sink in not only for him but for her as well. Saying them out loud made it real.

 “Dwight returned just before dawn and left for Falmouth shortly thereafter.” 

She felt the need to explain how she had found out about Elizabeth but it was clear he had already heard the news.  He lowered his head in a slight nod.

Ross hesitated for a moment before dismounting and going to his wife.  He knew that he could not return from another night of being away without some sort of explanation.  He needed to tell her what he did and what he intended.   Demelza didn’t move but stood still, unsure of her husband once again.  Coming to face her, Ross felt as though he couldn’t touch her.  It was as if they were transported back nine months to another morning; a morning then that was full of despair.  Today was similar but for other reasons, not all pertaining to Ross, Elizabeth and all that was related to them. None of which was fair.

 Dwight was gone back to war, newly married but without a proper goodbye to his wife.  Death had visited not one, but two households, taking with it men who were opposite examples of what fatherhood should be.  One, not truly a father but a guardian who cared for his ward as if she were his child; the other, a father who until the last days of his life, treated his children as whipping posts.  And then there was the new life that came to Trenwith.  A child, born under a black moon to parents who were brought together by less than pleasant circumstances.  How ironic that life comes and goes in waves, much like the ocean, bringing things to shore that we don’t always want and taking with it things we wish to keep. All these thoughts ran through Demelza’s mind as Ross came closer, clearly needing to say something to her.

“How was Dwight when he left?  He must have been upset at not having had a chance to be with Caroline before his departure,” Ross said, obviously avoiding the main topic at hand.

“Yes.  He was upset but resigned to it.  He seemed relieved as well that he was able to pull Elizabeth through her labor.  And that the child was well despite being born a month early,” she said slowly.

Ross looked away from her, seeming to take in his surroundings and accounting for his life. He turned back to Demelza, his eyes searching her face for some sort of indication as to what she was feeling. What he perceived was that she was not surprised at his absence last night or his reappearance this morning.  It was as though she expected this of him once the name of Elizabeth was brought into the conversation and it saddened him.  No matter how much he tried he could not seem to break the ties to his past. Until today.

“That’s good,” he said quietly. “Demelza, I need to you to know what happened last night. After I took Caroline to Killewarren, I found myself at Trenwith.”

“I thought as much Ross,” she said.  Now she was the one resigned.  “I knew that you would not rest until you saw for yourself that Elizabeth was well and that her child….”  She could not finish her thought.

“Yes.  You seem to know me so well my love,” he replied with genuine sincerity. 

He took a step closer so that he could touch her.  He needed to touch her. To feel her.  To reaffirm that she was still there, with him.  For him.

“Perhaps I do.  And perhaps that isn’t always a good thing.  Knowing what I think you will do sometimes sets my mind racing into dark places.  I don’t want that anymore Ross.  I can’t live like that.  In the past, in the shadows.  I need to live in the here and now.  In the light.”

“As do I my love.  What you said yesterday, about shadows and ignoring them?”

“Yes,” she said.  It appeared as though Ross had come to a decision about something which now made Demelza nervous.  Her mind was going in various directions the main one going on the path towards Trenwith.

“I tried to ignore them, Demelza, as you presumed and then tried to outrun them. Literally. Neither of which worked.  The only thing that will work is to face them and then, come up with a solution to eliminate them,” Ross admitted.

“How’s that Ross?” she asked, prepared for his answer.

“I need to speak with George,” he said.

“Why? About what?”

“There is a conversation which can no longer be avoided,” he answered.

Demelza had no idea what talking to George would do except make things worse for everyone. She wanted to tell him so and was about to voice her opinion when she felt his lips on hers.  The kiss was unexpected but not unwelcome.  In the past months, as they journeyed back to each other, these types of gestures were always approached with kid gloves.  Yes, she had taken him back into her bed and her body, the love she had for him too overpowering to deny the mutual need.  But these types of loving, gentle acts were still given sporadically.  Perhaps it was because the trust that was broken held these things at a higher regard more so than when they were in bed, in the throes of passion.  For Demelza, this tiny kiss meant more to her than their physical joining.  It represented true caring and love for her and their marriage.  It was a simple thing but meant everything.

Ross pulled back but kept his eyes closed and his grasp on his wife’s body.  Finally letting his eyes flutter open, he smiled at Demelza and was relieved when she gave him a smile in return. Touching his head to hers he whispered,” Please don’t worry my love.  I have every intention of leaving my meeting with George unscathed and with a definitive answer to my relationship with him and all of Trenwith.  Trust me.”

She looked up at her husband and for the first time in many months, Demelza felt she could honestly say she trusted him.  Whatever he needed to fight through had been accomplished so that in her heart, Demelza felt he had fully and truly returned to her.  Letting out a sigh, she touched his cheek before giving him another kiss.

“I will trust you, Ross.  And whatever it is you decide needs to be done, I will be ready to face. With you,” she said.

“Thank you.  Now let me go and get this over with. Then you and I can talk some more if you like.”

Surprised at his change, Demelza took it. 

“I think I’d like that very much, Ross.”

She stepped back as he got back up on his horse and road off to Truro, giving her a parting glance as he left.  Demelza had no idea what his mission was but his determination was clear.  For that, she was grateful for the reason that now maybe they could move on with their future and leave Trenwith and all that came with it behind.  Her hand went down to her belly, caressing the child of their reconciliation and anxious for the time she could tell Ross of their new addition.

*~*~*~*~*

They were walking on the beach arms linked discussing the changes that were coming thanks to his meeting with George.  Ross had offered George to remove himself from his life as long as Agatha and Geoffrey Charles were left alone, not to be used as pawns in any kind of war against Ross.  With George’s agreement, the ties to Trenwith were cut, leaving those inhabitants to deal with their lives as they saw fit and the Nampara household to do the same.  When Demelza asked about Ross’s decision and the effect this break would mean on the children, his message was clear: each child was now the responsibility of their mother and father. It did not concern him and therefore should not concern her.  They were no longer to deal with Trenwith.

Demelza was glad that Ross was open to welcoming her family in the form of two of her brothers to Nampara.  She knew that the relationship between herself and her siblings was almost non-existent due to their father. However, now that he was gone, Ross could not deny that Demelza’s mothering instinct would take over and her need to care for them would reign.  It was one of the things he loved about her. So it was agreed that Sam and Drake Carne would join the Poldarks in life and work. Ross said he would find them pitches at Wheal Grace and even a home at one of his cottages.  Demelza couldn’t ask for more.  There was only one more issue that had not been discussed but now she felt the time was right.

“I have something I must tell you, Ross.  Though I fear you will not like it,” she started.  Ross turned to her as she continued, “I’m with child again.”

Ross seemed surprised but considering how often they’d take solace in each other, how often then sought to reestablish the connection, he did not seem to realize that a child could result from such activities.  He gave her a small smile, even a little bit of a laugh, as he touched her, his hand going to her abdomen, trying to make this real.

“You’re not displeased?” she asked.

“I might have wished the timing was better.The war is getting deadlier, everything in this world seems less certain. Except for you,” he told her with a shy smile.

Demelza knew what he was saying and grinned back.

“Are you so certain of me?” she queried.

“Perhaps I don’t deserve to be,” he admitted.

“No you do not,” she confirmed.

Ross took her hands and came close to her so he could make his point very clear.

“But with you beside me, whatever life sends….”

Demelza finished the thought for him because she knew exactly what he was trying to say.

“We can face it.”

Leaning forward, Ross kissed her, the wind sweeping their hair around their faces, ebony and ginger tresses mixing around their heads.  Pulling away he took her hand and they continued down the beach. Walking away from the past and towards their future. 

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't think they'd come but gremlins are lurking. Hope no one gets sick of these and know I'm grateful for each and every one of you who are reading, commenting, messaging, sharing and supporting. You are the best!


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